US2246361A - Harvester and feeder - Google Patents

Description

W. A. JOHNSON HARVESTER AND FEEDER Original Filed July 22, 1958 3 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR.

ATTORNEY-Y.

June 17, 1941. W. A. JOHNSON HARVESTER AND FEEDER Original Filed July 22, 1938 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 ATTORNEYJ.

Juana 17, 1941.

W. A. JQHNSON HARVESTER AND FEEDER Original Filed July 22 1958 I5 Sheets-Sqeet 3 INVENTOR.

a V1 rc n m W M Mf Patented June 17, 1941 HARVESTER AND FEEDER William A. Johnson, Springfield, Ill., assignor to The Ohio Cultivator Company, Bellcvue, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Original application July 22, 1938, Serial No.

1940, Serial No. 333,008

(o1. lie-2s) 1 Claim.

The present application relates to a harvester and feeder, and more particularly to harvesting and feeding means intended to be applied to, and used in connection with, a Vehicle for carrying or operating upon the material to be harvested. Specifically, my invention is disclosed in association with a transit hay baler; andit is the primary object of the invention to provide means, associable with, and operating in conjunction with, a transit hay baler, for rapidly and effectively harvesting and gleaning the crop to be baled, and delivering the crop to the baling chamber of the machine with which the harvester and feeder is associated. Further objects of the invention will appear as the description proceeds.

To the accomplishment of the above and related objects, my invention may be embodied in the form illustrated in the accompanying drawings, attention beingcalled to the fact, however, that the drawings are illustrative only, and that change may be made in the specific construction illustrated and described, so long as the scope of the appended claims is not violated.

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a hay baler with which the harvester and feeder may be associated, part of the feeding mechanism being shown is integrated with the baler;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary viewof the harvester and feeder, the feeding, mechanism being shown in some detail;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view of the feeding mechanism, taken upon a plane parallel with, but spaced rearwardly from, the plane of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a fragmental plan view of the drive mechanism for the mower;

Fig. 5 is a fragmental end elevation of, the gathering reel and mechanismassociated therewith; i i l i Fig. 6 is a longitudinal section through one specific form of conveyor desirably used in the feeding mechanism; i

, Fig. '7 is a fragmental plan view, showing the manner in which the harvester and feeder is supported and associated with the vehicle; and

Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view taken upon the line 8-8 of Fig. 7. l H

Referring more particularly to the drawings, it will be seen that, in Fig. 1, I have illustrated a hay baler, or other vehicle, indicated generally by the reference numeral H), and carryinga prime mover l, which is connected by a belt. l2, to drive a flywheel 13. The flywheel I3 is connected, preferably through a friction clutch, to drive a pinion l4 meshing with a'gear l5, which, in turn, meshes with a bull wheel l6. Prefera ly, h million driv Divided and this application May 2,

by the flywheel meshes with a gear on a shaft which carries two other gears respectively meshing with two identical bull wheels. Since, however, this gear train forms no part of. the present invention, I have illustrated only the simple single train above described.

The shaft of the bull wheel I6 carries a sprocket ll which, through a chain |8 running over a tensioning idler I9, drives a sprocket 20 (see Fig. 2) of a transmission 2|. The bull wheel l6 meshes with a gear 22 connected to drive a sprocket 23 which, through a chain 24 running over a tensioning idler 25, drives the sprocket 26 on a shaft 21.

The harvesting mechanism of the present ap plication is indicated generally by the reference numeral 28 in Figs. 2, 3, and 7; and comprises a frame 29 carried, by arms 39, upon a sleeve 3| journalled upon a dead axle 32 which is formed, at one end, with a fork 33 adapted to be pivotally connected, as at 34, to a bracket 35. The bracket 35 is mounted upon the vehicle It! coaxial with thevchi cle wheel 36, so that the axle 32 is substantially coaxial with the wheel 36, but is mounted for oscillation about an axis substantially parallel with the direction of travel of the vehicle, so that the ground wheel 31,,supporting the outer end of the axle 32, may follow irregularities in the ground surface.

Adjustable-length links 38 and 39 further connect the frame 29 to the sleeve 3|; and a brace 49 is connected at one end to a bracket 4| carried by the sleeve 3|, and at its opposite end to a bracket 42 on the vehicle to assist in absorbing stresses in the direction of travel of the vehicle;

A lever 43, secured to the sleeve 3|, projects upwardly therefrom;.and a hook 44 connects one end of a spring assembly indicated generally by the reference numeral 45, with said lever. The opposite end of said spring assembly carries a pulley 46 through which is threaded a cable 41, one end of which is attached to a bracket 48 on the vehicle, and the other end of which is wrapped about the rotor or drum 49 of a winch carried by the vehicle. A ratchet 50 is fixed on said drum, and a pawl 5|, mounted on the vehicle, coopere ates with said ratchet to hold the drum 49 in any desired position of adjustment. Obviously, the winch49 may be adjusted to increase ordecrease the tension of. the spring assembly 45.

Referring, now, to Fig-2, it will be seen that I have illustrated a conventional mower comprising a shear plate 52 and a transversely reciprocable cutter arm 53 to which, as at 54, is

connected one end of a link 55, the opposite end of said link being connected, as at 56, to one arm of a bell crank lever 51 (see Fig. 4). The other arm of said bell crank lever is connected by a pitman 58 with an eccentric stud 59 on a wheel 69 carried by a shaft BI which likewise carries a sprocket 52 adapted to be driven, through chain 63, from a sprocket 64 mounted upon a shaft 65. Through suitable jointed means (not shown) the shaft 65 is connected to be driven by the shaft 21 (see Fig. 1).

A gathering reel, indicated generally by the reference numeral 66 in Fig. 2, is associated with the harvesting mechanism and comprises a main shaft 61 supported in bearings one of which is shown at 68 in Fig. 2. Said sleeve like bearings are supported, by hangers 69, from the frame 29 and are, of course, held against rotation. The shaft 61 is connected, through a flexible coupling 19 with a shaft H which is driven by the sprocket 29 and which carries the bevel gear 12 within the transmission 2|.

The main shaft 61 carries a spider 13 in which are journalled a plurality (in the illustrated embodiment, four) of gathering shafts 14, 15, 16, and 11 (see Fig. Each of said gathering shafts carries a plurality of picker fingers 18 which are adapted to urge material cut by the cutter bar 53 rearwardly onto a continuous belt conveyor 89 forming a part of the assembly 28. Desirably, the picker fingers 18 will be held against rotation about the axes of their associated gathering shafts; and I have provided means for so holding such fingers.

Upon the bearing 68 are mounted two sprockets 19 and 89 (see Fig. 5) These sprockets are provided with set screws, or the like, whereby they may be secured against movement with respect to the bearing 68; but it will be obvious that, when the set screws are loosened, the sprockets 19 and 89 may be individually or simultaneously adjusted as to their positions of rotation with respect to the bearing 68. During operation of the device, however, the sprockets 19 and 89 will remain immovable with respect to said bearing.

The gathering shaft 14 carries a sprocket 8| and the gathering shaft 11 carries a sprocket 82. Said sprockets SI and 82 are connected, by a chain 83, with the sprocket 99; said chain running over the sprockets 89, 8|, and 82, and over a tensioning sprocket 84 adjustably mounted upon a bar 85 carried by the spider 13. Similarly, the shaft 16 carries a sprocket IBI and the shaft 15 carries a sprocket I82, said sprockets HH and I82 being connected to sprocket 19 by a chain 86 passing over the sprockets 19, I BI, and I82 and over a tensioning sprocket 81 adjustably mounted on a bar 88 carried by the spider 13.

Obviously, all four sprockets BI, 82, ISI, and 182 might be chain connected to a single stationary sprocket to accomplish the function of holding the picker fingers 18 against movement about the axes of their gathering shafts; but I have found that, where a single chain is so used, the respective gathering shafts sometimes get out. of adjustment; and that uniformity is most easily provided. with the mechanism herein illustrated in detail.

The conveyor 99 extends across the full length of the unit 28, material cut by the cutter bar 53 being deposited on. the said conveyor 89 by the gatherin reel 66. Said conveyor runs over a roller 99 and a roller 9I, and over a roller (not shown) positioned at the opposite end of the unit 29. Adjacent the discharge end of the conveyor 89 there is positioned a short cooperating conveyor 92 which runs over rollers 93 and 94. The roller 94 is mounted upon a shaft 96 which carries a pulley and an idler pulley coaxial therewith and therefore not shown. A belt 91 drives from the pulley 98 on the shaft 65 over the above-mentioned idler pulley, thence over the pulley 99 associated with the roller 99, and back over the pulley 95. Thus, if the shaft 65 is driven in a clockwise direction, as viewed from the right-hand end of Fig. 3, the pulley 99 will likewise be driven clockwise, as viewed in Fig. 3, and the pulley 95 will be driven counterclockwise.

Material is delivered from the conveyor 89 onto a conveyor carried by the vehicle, and indicated generally by the reference numeral I99. This conveyor is illustrated in detail in Fig. 6. It comprises a shaft I9I journalled in suitable supports on the vehicle, and a shaft I92 carried by links I93 adjustable about the axis of the shaft I9I. Sprockets I94 on the shaft I9I and sprockets I95 on the shaft I92 carry two parallel endless bands I96 to which are secured a pluralit'y of flexible aprons I91, preferably made of canvas or the like, said aprons being secured to the bands at their leading transverse edges and being free at their trailing transverse edges, the trailing transverse edge of each apron overlapping the leading transverse edge of the next succeeding apron. This particular structure has been found to b extremely efficient in the handling of straw, hay, alfalfa, and the like. A further conveyor I98 cooperates with the conveyor I99 adjacent the discharge end thereof, said conveyor being threaded over idler sprockets I99 and HI, respectively carried by shafts H9 and II 2 and over a sprocket I 21' carried upon a shaft I21 later to be described. Material is fed, by the conveyors NH and I99, between a drum H3 and a drum H4. The drum H4 is mounted, as is clearly shown in Figs. 2 and 3, for floating movement about the axis of the shaft I21; and said drum is formed with a plurality of ribs on its peripheral surface. The ribs H5 of one series extend from the right-hand end of the drum rearwardly, as considered in connection with the direction of rotation of the drum, toward the median plane between the opposite ends of the drum. Similarly, the ribs I I6 of the other series extend from the left-hand end of the drum rearwardly toward the median plane between the ends of the drum. Preferably, the ribs of one series are staggered peripherally with respect to the ribs of the other series.

The cooperative effect of the drums I I3 and I I4 is to force the material being handled to move across the table I28 to and through the inlet port H1 into the baling chamber of the illustrated machine; the material being guided in such movement by a shield I29 as shown in Fig. 3.

The transmission 2| includes a gear I I9 meshing with the beveled gear 12, and carried upon a shaft H9 (see Fig. 1) which carries a sprocket I29. As is most clearly illustrated in Fig. 2, a chain I26 leads around the sprocket I29, under sprocket I22, on shaft I 9! over sprocket I23 on shaft I21, under sprocket I24, and over sprocket I25 which is connected to the drum H3. The shaft I21 likewise carries a further sprocket I39 which, through chain I28, drives sprocket I29 carried by the drum H4,

This is a division of my application Ser. No.

220,621, filed July 22, 1938'.

It will be understood that I desire to compreing said main shaft, a sprocket on each of said gathering shafts, a plurality of sprockets on said main shaft, a sprocket chain connecting a, pair of adjacent sprockets to one of said sprockets on said main shaft, and a sprocket chain connecting another pair of adjacent sprockets to another of the sprockets on the main shaft, said last mentioned sprocket chain and pair of adjacent sprockets being out of alignment with said first mentioned sprocket chain and pair of adjacent sprockets, the said chains forming substantial triangles.

WILLIAM A. JOHNSON.

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